


My protective nature

by Its_Raineing_Words



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: Bullying, Gen, One Shot, Protectiveness, Short One Shot, Swearing, obviously, protective!joel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 09:19:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9812918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Raineing_Words/pseuds/Its_Raineing_Words
Summary: Joel is how you'd expect him to be.





	

After everything with the Fireflies was over Joel made good on his word and took Ellie down to Jackson. Tommy and Maria loved her just like he knew they would even if the residents of Jackson didn’t share the sentiment even as the years passed and Ellie turned from a mouthy teen into a hard-working adult. Ellie didn’t care if people didn’t trust or like her, but Joel most certainly did; they didn’t even have much of a reason to dislike her as they had no idea she was infected. But Maria had said that they didn’t like the fact that he followed her like a shadow and she seemed to be just as dangerous as him. The people of Jackson were soft and had barely been touched by the ending of the world, and if they distrusted him and more importantly Ellie because of it, well that was on them. 

No one had time to be suspicious during harvest time, though, everyone was far too busy for that Joel and Ellie included. Joel was a part of most trips outside of Jackson as he was the most capable and willing person at Tommy’s disposal and Ellie spent a lot of time helping out with the horses or in the fields, occasionally going out with them when she could convince Joel to let her.

The two of them spent just as much time together as they always had, Joel effectively terrifying any teenage boys away and Ellie being so rude to any woman who fancied Joel that they often refused to speak to either of them again. Tommy and Maria had raised their concerns to the two of them, but they paid no mind to it, it was how they liked it after all. Just the two of them.   
“Come on, then. Let’s get a move on, girl.” Joel called into the house.  
“One, I’m not a girl-I’m a woman. And two, this house is the only place that isn’t as hot as Satan’s asshole and I’m not leaving!” A petulant Ellie called back, while she was hardworking mornings would always be a challenge for her.  
“We’ve got work to do; you don’t want those women who’re shucking the corn to start saying you’re lazy, do you?” He retorted smugly.   
“Yes!....No. Alright, I'm coming.” A few seconds later the sound of floorboards creaking as Ellie practically launched herself down the stairs. 

Joel had already started walking down the path, and Ellie had to jog to catch up with him.  
“Why the hell do you walk so fast, Joel? It’s weird.” She complained as she adjusted her backpack.   
“It’s not my fault you haven’t grown since you were sixteen.” He retorted, eyes stubbornly on the path ahead of them.   
“Are you saying I’m short?” Ellie cried out in indignation.  
“Well, I’m just saying you wouldn’t have gotten into any basketball teams…”   
“What? Why would my height have anything to do with…? Nevermind.” She sighed.   
“I’ll tell you tonight if I remember,” Joel promised, knowing what Ellie was thinking, she’d kerbed her outright thirst for knowledge, but it was still bubbling away under the surface.   
“Don’t worry; I’ll remind you.” She said brightly.  
“Oh, I’m sure about that.” He grumbled, picking up his pace slightly to annoy her. Ellie didn’t take the bait and fell into step with him easily and began to whistle, “I wish I’d never taught you how to do that.” 

The rest of the long walk to the fields went without incident, and Joel took the welcome silence to think about what he’d make for supper that evening. Tommy had given him some honey from the beehives they’d set up the year before, and the possibility of some honey glazed ham was enough to keep his spirits up even when they reached the fields and were quickly work to do. His good mood was shattered when he looked up from his work and saw Ellie, she was surrounded by a group of teenage boys and he could tell even from a distance that they were saying some not so kind things to her. Joel growled to himself and stalked off towards Ellie, uncaring of the various people asking him what was wrong as he passed them with murder in his features.   
“You have a lot of nerve acting like you’re better than us just because you’re fucking someone twice your age you jumped up hussy!” One of the boys, a ginger whose mother Joel knew to be a bit of a mean-spirited old bitch said just as Joel walked into earshot.   
“Fuck you! You know nothing about me.” Ellie spat back at him, fists clenched at her side.   
Joel didn’t even hesitate and grabbed the little shit by the scruff of his shirt, hauling him away from Ellie.   
“What the-” The boy looked like he was about to take a swing at him but soon thought better of it.  
“If I catch you so much as looking at Ellie again let alone making remarks similar to the filth I just heard I will hurt you...make no mistake about that.” Joel heard his voice as if it wasn’t his own as he was struck by how eerily calm it sounded. 

The group quickly ran off and left Joel and Ellie alone, Ellie looked like she wanted to say something to him but wasn’t sure what. She jerked her head in the direction of the others who had stopped their work to stare at them. They were still a bit of an oddity even after all this time, things had just started to calm down for Ellie, and he’d ruined it by scaring the piss out of those boys, not that he could bring himself to regret it.   
“Joel! What the hell happened?” Tommy called as he jogged over to them.   
“Some little shits thought they’d try threatening Ellie, you know I don’t take kindly to that.” He replied.  
“You know I can fight my own battles, Joel,” Ellie grumbled.  
“Of course I know that I just don’t want you to have to.”   
“Alright, enough of the heart to heart, you two. You’ve caused a scene. Again,” Tommy sighed, “I want both of you to go down to storage and help out there and don’t cause trouble this time.”   
Joel nodded.   
“Ok, Tommy. But it wasn’t Joel’s fault. Those fuckers were giving me some serious shit.” She said.  
“I don’t doubt that. Still, you know you have to soften up a little bit to fit in here.”  
“We know, and we have. Just...some of it doesn’t leave you.” Ellie sighed, kicking her foot against the ground.   
“Yeah, yeah….get to storage.” With that, Tommy was striding away. Joel and Ellie looked at each other for a second before shrugging and walking away.


End file.
